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Topic: The Dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide (Read 1484 times)

Read the following and then vote please. I am interested in people's initial responses to the details given below, so please vote before reading any subsequent posts. Many thanks.

Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands of people every year. Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.

Dihydrogen monoxide:

is also known as hydroxl acid, and is the major component of acid rain.

contributes to the "greenhouse effect."

may cause severe burns.

contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.

accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.

may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.

has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:

as an industrial solvent and coolant.

in nuclear power plants.

in the production of styrofoam.

as a fire retardant.

in many forms of cruel animal research.

in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.

as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.

The American government has refused to ban the production, distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its "importance to the economic health of this nation."

I don't think we need any more gummint regulation. We have enough clean air and water. In fact, we have too much of it. We need to let businesses get down to business and quit bothering them with these burdensome regulations. This is just more of Obama's stalinist naziish totalitarian dictatorship. And GUNS!

The problem is, I already knew what Dihydrogen Monoxide is. I voted 'yes' as a joke vote, but I realise that if I didn't know what it was then I would likely have hit 'yes' anyway, perhaps after having asked, "what is dihydrogen monoxide", but if pushed, I would more likely have said yes because I'd be shooting in the dark and only have the information presented to me and I'd have to make an assumption based on that. At no point is it explicitly stated that it's a dangerous material. It's a great demonstration of how you can play on language for the purpose of propaganda and in all fairness, I think many would fool for it, but it does demonstrate how language can be used to manipulate and why it's important to know the subject matter before nodding along and fooling for the proganda, be a little more sceptical and look at things from both sides, do your research before making the decision. If you don't, you're potentially a fool and screwing yourself and others over.

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“It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet” - Miyamoto MusashiWarning: I occassionally forget to proofread my posts to spot typos or to spot poor editing.

Yeah, I learned long ago not to vote on anything without any knowledge of the subject, and especially not when asked to do so by people eagerly trying to get my signature.And I'm old enough to know this one, even if I couldn't parse the chemical nomenclature.

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"Deferinate" itself appears to be a new word... though I'm perfectly carmotic with it.-xphobe

I only voted yes because of the admonition to vote on initial impression, and I was voting in the spirit of the opening post where only yes and no were allowed. In real life, I always research before voting or signing petitions or whatever.

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If we ever travel thousands of light years to a planet inhabited by intelligent life, let's just make patterns in their crops and leave.

I admit to extreme blondness and genuine cognitive loss from all my migraine meds but doesn't DHMO = H2O ??I can think of 4 people off the top of my head who absolutely would vote to ban this without hesitation.These same people are always sending me hysterical emails about Jane Fonda the Communist Sympathiser or Michelle & Barack saying the Pledge of Allegience with their left hand over their hearts or my favorite - If anyone tries to rob you at the ATM put your PIN in backwards and it will automatically call the police!!! I always respond with the Snopes article which disproves whatever crap they are trying to feed me.See, I don't believe everything.

« Last Edit: April 12, 2013, 04:58:13 AM by LoriPinkAngel »

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It doesn't make sense to let go of something you've had for so long. But it also doesn't make sense to hold on when there's actually nothing there.

I have one of those in my life too. Screwtape Sr. He thinks our president is a Kenyan, islamist, socialist, fascist Manchurian Candidate hell bent on destroying the country. He didn't always used to be that way. Or maybe he was and I just got mature enough to see it. I dunno. I don't remember him saying crazy shit like that when I was a kid.

Funny thing is the joke fails because DHMO is not the right name to use. DHMO uses the standard for nonmetal-nonmetal bonding, but that's not really accurate because H+ acts as both a metal and nonmental, and it doesn't bond as H+ + H+ + O2-; it bonds as H+ and OH-.

Because of the H+ we should name it as an acid, which would make it hydroxyl oxide. However, because of the OH-, we should name it as a base, which would make it hydrogen hydroxide.

Of course, it's neither an acid nor a base, which is why scientists use a special name for it: water.

About 15 years too late for this, too many email forwards floating around, all element of surprise long since gone. We remain gullible as ever, just that this particular trap is too well known. Just like the Nigerian emails.

It should also be mentioned that Dihydrogen Monoxide is the preferred weapon of mass destruction for many incompetent gods in several belief systems.

A man went to a restaurant with a scientist friend, the waiter walked over to them and asked "what will you be drinking?" The scientist, being a smart arse said, "I'll have some H2O". His friend, trying to not sound stupid said, "I'll have some H20 too." The friend was later admitted to hospital to have his stomach pumped.

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“It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet” - Miyamoto MusashiWarning: I occassionally forget to proofread my posts to spot typos or to spot poor editing.

A man went to a restaurant with a scientist friend, the waiter walked over to them and asked "what will you be drinking?" The scientist, being a smart arse said, "I'll have some H2O". His friend, trying to not sound stupid said, "I'll have some H20 too." The friend was later admitted to hospital to have his stomach pumped.

When I was a kid we had two brown, unmarked bottles in the fridge. One was the aloe sap. The other was hydrogen peroxide. Let's just say that was one sunburn I'll never forget.

He thinks our president is a Kenyan, islamist, socialist, fascist Manchurian Candidate hell bent on destroying the country.

I've often wondered if Obama had the same parents, much paler skin, straighter hair, kept the nickname Barry, but everything else is the same. (oh, better have a white wife) would so many people revile him so?

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It doesn't make sense to let go of something you've had for so long. But it also doesn't make sense to hold on when there's actually nothing there.